Railway-crossing signal



H. J. SCHROEDER.

RAILWAIY CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1916.

1 3 %99a Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

4 SHEET$SHEET 1- War/19y,

H. J. $CHROEDER.

RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 1916.

1 320,499., Patented Nov. 4, 1919".

4 SHEETSSHEET 3. I

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HENRY J. SCHROEDER, F SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Application filed April 1, 1916. Serial No. 88,212.

' specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway crossing signals of that class adapted to be operated by an on-coming train running over a portion of track included in an electric circuit and thereby closing the circuit. One object of the invention is to provide a railway crossing signal including visual and audible elements located at or adjacent to a railway crossing whereby pedestrians and others at or near the crossing may be warned in the event of a train approaching the crossing. With the foregoing and other objects in .view the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter fully described in this specification, pointed out in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and in which Figure l is a front view of my signaling apparatus located beside a railroad track.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary view.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, enlarged, through one of the visual elements.

Fi 4 is a diagrammatic view of the wirmg for the signaling apparatus. I

Like reference characters denote corre- I sponding parts throughout the several views.

The reference numerals 1, 2 designate the right and left tracks of a double track railway. My apparatus is located in the lions. ing. 3 arranged beside the railway adjacent a railway crossing. The housing 3 comprises a. tower 4 through which the belting 5 runs that passes overa pulley 6 arranged upon transmission shaft 7 suitably supported in the housing 3, said shaft also carrying the gear wheel 8 that meshes with pinion 9 of the motor shaft lO driven directly by the motor 11 also arranged within the said housing. The said belt 5 passes from the pulley 6 over a sheave 12 arranged in the upper end of the tower 4 upon a'sleeve 13 journaled in suitable bearings in said tower and. rovided with the core lthat re; volves wit said sleeve and carries with it the T-coupling 15 that carries the arms 16, 17 in the remote or free ends of which the visual signaling elements 18 are carried. Within the said T-coupling 15 are the studs 19, 20 which extend through the core 1% and are connected respectively to the slip rings2l, 22 which in turn are connected, respectively by the brushes-23, 21 with the wires 25, 26 which extend, respectively, to

the trunk line 27 and to the common return i 28 which extends from the railroad tracks 1, 2 to the motor 11.

Referring again to the visual signals, the same are provided with breathing caps 29 and said signals or lights are fed by the wires 30 that extend through arm' 16, and wires 31 which extend through arm 17. To the tower 4 an insulated block with rubbing contacts 32 is secured and adapted for intermittent engagement with the swinging arms 16, 17 through spring contacts 50 more clearly shown at Fig. 1 whereby an electric circuit,'which includes the bells 33, is closed. The said block is connected by feed wire 31 with the trunk line, while a wire 35 connects the swinging arms 16, 17, with the railway train entering these blocks on either track. The blocks are located at approximately one thousand feet from each side of arailway crossing and the signal is placed adjacent the railway crossing. When a train enters a block the steel wheels and trucks serve as circuit closers and connect the lines 38, 28 thus starting the motor and with it the commutator thus rotating the arms 16,17 and lighting the visual signals which remainlighted as long as the train is in the energized block. As the arms pass the block 32 they close the circuit in which the bells are located and so start the audible signals which are thus caused to ring intermittently and so attract the attention of all pedestrians and others in the vicinity of the wet weather protector to keep moisture from the sleeve and core and'serves to drain off any water that might seep into the revolving parts or travel along the sleeve.

What is claimed is A railway signaling device including a casing, with a sheave arranged therein, signaling arms provided with electrical lights,

a sleeve journaled in said casing andhaving an insulating core therein, said arms having a sleeve-connection with the aforesaid sleeve, studs extending through said core and wired to said electrical lights, and connected to slip-rings, said slip-rings being connected with brushes, wires connected to said brushes, said wires extending to the trunk-line and to a common electrical return-member, respectively, extending from rails of the railway-tracks, a motor, means for transmittingmotion from said motor to said signaling arms, said casing having attached thereto a rubbing contact, and said signaling arms having resilient contacts, saidrubbing contact and said resilient contacts being arranged for interengagement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signa ture in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HENRY J. SCHROEDER.

Witnesses VALENTINE. SHAPPERT, WILLIAM D. KARMING. 

